Sewer flusher



` 'March 8, 1932. G PETERSEN 1,848,269

SEWER FLUSHER Filed June 24, 1929 ay@ iT-.7

Patented Mar'.l A8,1932 Y am@ :mm

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GEORGE PETERSEN, on Miiiwiiiiiriiii,v Wisconsin, assrenoit Tonosa'nrnrnnsnnfor l MILWAUKEE Wisconsin ff snwnn FLUsHEn AppiiationfiiefisJune 24,

Y This invention relates to sewer flusliers. f A commontype of sewerflusher involves a; 4bagwhich functions as a conductor for the yvflushing and also as ay plug or anchor when 5 eXpanded'by thepr'essureof the fluid against the wallsof the sewer or wastepipeto beV vflushed.VThis bag is ordinarilyl constructed of'iexible material and equipped atits forlV ward end with a discharge nozzle and "at its 10 rear end withan appropriate'fitting for a tioned of means for transmitting tothe for.

ward. end of the bag a thrust sufficient to readily project it intoworking position with- '25 in the pipe or conduit irrespectiveV of theturns or bends encountered. y 1 y Y Y Another object is the provision'ofa longitudinal stilfenerfor the bag which will also vfunction tocollapse the bag, when Vthe supply of flushing fluid is cut olf, tothereby facilitate ie'inoval'of the bag from the pipe or conduitaftercompletion of the flushing operation;V kAnother object is theprovision of means for destroying the lpressure in the bag for Thisbecomes necessary particularly in those instances Where lthe bag is usedsolely as a 'the use of a sewer flusher embodying the pres-y -4-5 Yentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on, a larger scale,

'the' major vintermediate portion kof thebag y being shown broken awayto permit fore y shortening and conserving space; f 5l) Fig. 3 is apurposes of facilitatingremoval of the bag.-

fragmentary view in side Veleva- 1929. Serial Ilm-373,133.'

v tionillustrating one end of the bagequipped with an outlet connection.f y

The sewer flusher Vshown comprises a bag 10 comprising a tube ofinultiple ply fabric with its ends 11 vgathered or hunched tightly:about appropriate end fittings 12 and 13.

The iitting 12 at thelforward endofthe bag consists of a metal cylinderhaving a discharge passage l-l therethrough to forni va nozzle.V Thefitting 13 at therear end ofthe bag consists of a short length ofpipe,having.

a greater internal diameter than the diameter of passagelel, andprovided with a cup l5 at one end internally threadedto: receive anappropriate hose coupling or the lile Suitable clamps 16 and 17 lserveto securely/bind the gathered ends of the bag upon the endfittings 12and 13. The fabric of Awhich thebag is inade is ordinarily heavy canvas,the inner ply being rubberizedto render the saine wa- Y terproof. f

As hereinabove pointed. kout provision is made for stiflening the bag'scas to facilitate projectingthe rsaine intotlie pipe or conduit:

to be flushed. In the fiusher shownthis is accomplished'by the use of aycompression spring 18 within the haga-nd extending from end to endthereof.. Each of the fittings 12 end 19 reduced Vto receive an end ofthe spring and to form an externalshoulder 2O against which thespringseats. The opposite ends of the spring are fined in position byextensions 21 thereof which lie against the end fittings V12 and 13beneath the ends 11 of the' dotted lines inFig. 2, when the bag is not"en"- posed to internal pressure. V Y

Vlligure lillustrates one of the. many uses to which this sewerVfluslier inay. .be applied. A sewer pipe, shown at a, may be clogged byand 13 is provided with an inwardlydirected y material ZLQTo flusli'outthisV material the`V end tting 13of the bag 10 islcoiipled'tc anappropriate water supply hose c andproiect-v ed by the hose throughthe'y upright pipe Z intothe pipe a. ylllien so advancing the bag7V thespring 18 transmits the mechanical thrust thereto through thek hose c.

of the hose to the nozzle 12, independently of the sides of the bag sothat the bag does not collapse lengthwise under this thrust. The springis of course sufiiciently flexible to permit bending as the bag advancesthrough a sharp turn betweenthe pipes Z and a. Alfter the bag has thusbeen advanced intoworking position water under prcssureris delivered Thewater ad-f mitted to the bag expands it into firmv grip\ ping contactwith the wall of the pipe to thus anchor it therein and then escapesunder pressure through the reduced passage la in the nozzle 12 andflushes out the material b. Upon completion of the flushing operationthe water supply is cutoff sc that the pressure in thebag is destroyed,land the walls of the bag collapsey under the action of the spring 18permitting free withdrawal of the bag from lthe pipes. f For .some usesthe fitting 13 may be replaced bye fitting 13, having a branch pipe 22`formed integral therewith. This branch ipe 22 is equipped with aIcut-.o'ffvalve y opening this valve the pressure in the bag 10 bereduced to permit the same to c0l= lapse in the manner above described.This branch pipe 22 and valve 23are. required in elongated bag offlexible material, a discharge nozzle at one end thereof, a fitting atthe otherend thereof through which a flushing fiuid is admitted thereto,and a coil spring extending longitudinally within said bag, said springand bag forming the sole connection between said nozzle and fitting soas to permit lateral flexing of said bag, said nozzle and fitting havinginwardly directed reduced ends extending respectively into the oppositeends of said spring.

4. In a sewer flusher the combination of a tubular fabric, a dischargenozzle, an intake fitting, the. opposite ends of said fabric beinggathered about said nozzle and fitting respectively, clamps for securingthe gathered ends offsaid fabric to said nozzle and fitting to form abag, said nozzle and fittinghaving inwardly directed reduced ends, and acoil spring extending lengthwise within said bag g5 with ends thereofseated on said reduced ends, the ends of said spring having extendedportions securedby an beneath the gathered ends of said fabric. s f

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 22nd day of June,1929. f GEORGE PETERSEN.

those instances where thev bag is usedsolely -V as a plug with thenozzle 12 closed. It is of connue understood that the passage 14 in thenozzle maybe closed by a suitable plug or reduced .by any appropriatemeans such" asv sleeves inserted therein.

Various changes may be made in the em f bodiment of the inventionhereinabove specritically1 described without departing from orsacrificing the advantages of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims;

I claim 1. In a sewer usher the combination of an elongated expansiblebagv of flexible material, a discharge nozzle at the forward end of saidbag, a fitting at the rear end of said bag for admitting a flushingfluid thereto, and thrust transmitting means applied to the yforward endof said bag by which said bag may be readily projected lengthwise intooperative position within a conduit to be fiushed, said thrusttransmitting means and bag being transversely fiexible to permit passagetherel of through bends in the conduit. s

2Q In a sewerflusher the combination yof an elongated expansible bag yofflexible material, a discharge nozzle at the forward end ofy said bag, a.fitting at the rear end of said bag for admitting a flushing fluidthereto, and thrust transmitting means vwithin said bag and appliedtothe forward end thereof to facilitate projection of said bag into aconduit to be flushed, said thrust transmitting means and bag beingtransversely flexible to permit passage thereof throughy bends in theconduit. 3Q 'Ina sewer flusher the combination of an

